Brits bag flights of fancy if tourists fail to fire

Page Tools

An australian first-innings collapse in the final Ashes Test at
the Oval could bring travel joy to England's fans.

British Airways has joined the extraordinary marketing fever
surrounding the series decider by offering flights to Sydney and
Melbourne priced according to how may runs the Australians score in
their first innings.

Showing suitable patriotic fervour for the national flag-carrier
- albeit one run by an Australian, Rod Eddington, who leaves at the
end of the month - the number of cheap flights on offer will be
determined by England's first-innings total.

The best outcome for diehard England supporters - and for
bargain hunters - would be a repeat of the first-innings scores at
Trent Bridge, where England chalked up 477 runs before dismissing
Australia for 218 - so 477 tickets offered at £218 ($523)
each.

Edgbaston would have yielded 407 tickets at £308 ($739) and
Old Trafford 444 at £302 ($724). Lord's would have produced
the biggest bargain - flights for £190 ($456), although there
would only have been 155 of them.

British Airways' current cheapest flight to Sydney is £649
($1556) and Melbourne £639 ($1532). A phone line will be
opened after the first two innings, with callers restricted to two
tickets each.